1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to imidothioethers. It relates particularly to ethynyl terminated imidothioethers prepared by the reaction of a dimercaptan and an ethynyl containing maleimide.
2. Description of Related Art
Linear polyimidothioethers, also referred to in the literature as polyimidosulfides, are commonly synthesized by the reaction of aromatic or aliphatic dimercaptans with aromatic or aliphatic bismaleimides. These polymers have a repeat unit of the following general type, ##STR1## wherein R and R' are divalent aromatic or aliphatic radicals which may be 1,3-phenylene, 1,4-phenylene, 4,4'-oxydiphenylene, 1,2-ethane, 1,4-butane or any other approprate divalent radical. The synthesis and characterization of linear polyimidothioethers were first described in 1972 (J. V. Crivello, Polymer Preprints, 13(2), 924 (1972)); see also J. V. Crivello, J. Polymer Sci, Polymer Chem. Ed, 14, 159 (1976); and J. V. Crivello, Macromolecular Synthesis, 6, 91 (1977). The polyimidothioethers were prepared in solution by the tertiary amine catalyzed Michael-type addition of aromatic or aliphatic dimercaptans to aromatic or aliphatic bismaleimides. Polyimidothioethers have also been prepared from the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with bismaleimides.
High molecular weight aromatic polyimidothioethers can form tough flexible films with good tensile properties and can be compression molded. They are generally soluble in N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidone, hexafluoroacetone and m-cresol. Uncrosslinked polyimidothioethers are susceptible to solvent attack, especially in a stressed condition, and upon exposure undergo solvent induced stress crazing and cracking.